My senior cat has brief pain spells. Is this normal for her age?

Question

My cat for the past 2 months has been going through spells of hunkering down as if something is paining her , she smacks her lips and her head can twitch to the side too. It is brief and might only happen every few days. She’s 17 year olds and has been in the vets in recent weeks for other issues and the vet has been happy with her. She’s eating normally and seems happy.The vets stress her out so I’m reluctant to get testing but is it normal for older cats to have spells of aches and pains. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 16 years and 11 months old | 6.3 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Yes it is normal for an old cat to have spells of aches and pains. Arthritis is common in old cats, and it can be pain to them. Given that this is only happening briefly at the moment and every few days, it's fine to keep an eye on her for now. Should these episodes start to increase in length or occurrence, then it would be time to see the vet. Please do not give Lilly any human pain medications. Many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. If she does need pain medication, her vet can prescribe a safe one for her. I hope this helps!

My senior cat has brief pain spells. Is this normal for her age?

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